Ore-conveyer.



"No. 745,368. 7 PATBNTED DEG. 1,.1903. A. MoGAIN & T. O. GRIERSONJ.

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No. 745,368. x PATENTED' DEG.'1, 1903.

A. MoGAIN & T. a. GRIERSON.

ORE UONVEYER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2, 1902.

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No. 745,368. v PATENTED DEC. 1, 1903. A. MoGAIN & T. G.-GRIERSON.

ORE GONVEYER..

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2, 1902.

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ALEXANDER MCCAIN AND THOMAS CARLYLE GRIERSON, OF EVELETH,

MINNESOTA.

ORE-CONVEYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 745,368, dated December 1, 1903. Application filed August 2, 1902. Serial No. 118,l63i (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALEXANDER MCCAIN and THOMAS CARLYLE GRIERSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Eveleth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented anew and useful Ore-Conveyor, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to ore-conveyers, and more particularly to a construction embodying an ore-conveyer-and stockpiler.

The object of the invention is to convey the ore from the mine and stock or pile the same adjacent thereto during the winter months or at a time when it is not convenient to move the same to the furnace.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction embodying these characteristics which will be exceedingly easy to manipulate and which will dispense with a considerable quantity of labor.

WVith these and certain'otherobjects, as will appear hereinafter, the invention consists in the details of construction and also in the novel combination and arrangement of the various parts, all of which will'be fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings formingapart of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a combined conveyor and stock-piler constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the cars. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of one of the cars, said view being broken away. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4 on an enlarged scale. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the buffer, and Fig. 7 is a detail side elevation showing the operation of the parts when the car comes in contact with the buffer. Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view showing means for regulating the buffer. partly in section, showing a'portion ofFig. 8.

In carrying out our invention we employ the usual construction of shaft-house frame A, carrying a sheave A at its upper end, over which the cableA passes, elevating the car A for the purpose of discharging the ore or Fig. 9 is anenlarged detail view,

other material into one of the dumping-cars forming apart of our improved construction of stock-piler.

B indicates the tower mounted upon wheels B, which travel upon the tracks B arranged at any desired distance from the shaft-house derrick or frame. The track and tower are both anchored in any suitable manner, so as to render the tower fixed or immovable after having once been adjusted at the proper point. A Track-cables C are fastened at one end to the shaft-house derrick or frame, pass over shafts 0, carried at the upper end of the tower, and are connected at their lower ends to windlasses 0 arranged adjacent to the lower end ofthe towerB andbymeansofwhich the track-cables can be properly adjusted.

In the drawings we have shown two sets of track-cables, and there will of course be two sets of elevator-cars A and also two sets of dumping-cars; but it will of course be understood that any desired number of cables and cars may be employed, according to the capacity of the mine and the amount of material to be handled. In the further description of our invention, however, we shall only refer to one set of track-cables and one dumping-car, together with the operative mechanism connected to or operated upon the said car, it being understood, of course, that all cars are of the same construction and the operating mechanism is the same in each case. The dumping-car D travels upon the trackcables 0, said car having grooved rollers D arranged upon opposite sides thereof adjacent to the upper end and which travel upon the track cable 0, these rollers being arranged in strap-loops D and directly beneath each roller Dis a similar guiding-roller D The car'has a bottom D hinged at D and adapted to drop downwardly, as indicated in Fig. 7, and this bottom carries the axles D having wheels D which travel upon the tracks arranged upon the shaft-house derrick or frame. The bottom D -is' normally held closed by means of a springactuated catch-lever E, the lower portion of which is bifurcated, said lever being pivoted in the bracket E, attached to the end of the car, and the hooked ends E are adapted to engage the under side of the bottom of the car and hold the said bottom closed. Catch -lever E is normally held in this position through the medium of a spring E contained within a sleeve E connected to the end of the car and between the members of the lever, said spring bearing directly against the bar E which connects the said members of the lever and works in longitudinal slots E produced in the sleeve E as most clearly shown in Fig. 5.

By this construction the lower hooked ends of the lever are normally held in engagement with the bottom of thecar, and consequently the bottom of the car is kept closed.

The elevator-car A discharges the material into the dumping-car D, and the dumping-car then is moved outwardly upon the track-cables, the end carrying the lever being foremost, and these cars continue to move outwardly until the lever comes in contact with a buffer F, arranged at any desired point upon the track-cables, and when the upper end of the catch-lever E contacts with the said buffer the lower hooked ends of the lever are disengaged from the bottom of the car, and the said bottom will then drop by its own weight and will discharge its contents where it is desired to pile the stock. After the car has been dumped it is thrown back to its former position, ready to receive another load, and in being returned the hinged bottom is moved upwardly and closed, as hereinafter explained.

In order to move the car back and forth upon the track-cables, we employ a rope G, which is connected to the forward end of the car, passed around the sheave G, back over a sheave G to a drum at the engine-house, then returned over a sheave G3 and connected to the rear side of the car, as shown at G. Guide-pulleys G are arranged upon opposite sides of the car adjacent to the bottom of the same and between which the rope G travels, the said guide-pulleys being carried by the strap-loops or brackets G Thus it will be understood that by operating the ropes from the engine-house the dumping-car D will be caused to move backward and forward upon the track-cables.

As the car D approaches the shaft-house derrick the wheels D come in contact with a curved or inclined butter-block H, by means of which the bottom is elevated and secured in its closed position as the car moves inwardly to receive the second charge.

The buffer F comprises an essentially open frame F, strengthened by suitable braces F and guide-rollers F are arranged upon the opposite sides of the frame, carried in suitable loops or brackets F. The track-cables G passbetween these guide'rollers F ,and thus support the buffer upon the track-cables. A rope F passes from the forward end of the buffer over a sheave F and carries a weight 13 at its lower end, the purpose of said weight being to take up any slack which may be occasioned by the cars coming in contact with 'maeee the buffer F, and the purpose of this rope is to hold the buffer in its proper position. If desired, another rope F may be connected to the opposite end and may extend into the shaft-house and by means of which the buffer can be drawn in the opposite direction whenever desired.

To prevent the buffer running back after the car beyond the point at which it should rest, a perforated lug F is secured to the towerB, through which the rope passes. An adjustable stop F is secured on the rope below the lug. \Vhen the buffer is struck by a car, it will be driven backward a few feet, the weight F keeping the rope taut, and the buffer will then run down the cable 0 toward the tower A until it is checked by the stop F striking the lug F Unless the position of the stop F is changed the buffer will continue to run to the same point after each impact. hen a sufficient amount of coal has been dumped at that point, the stop, which is secured in place by a setscrew F, is readjusted, and the buffer will stop nearer to or farther from the tower B, as may be desired.

In operation the dumping-car is arranged upon the track of the shaft-house derrick and also upon the track-cables C. The stock to be'piled is then discharged from the car A into the dumping-car D, and the said dumping-car is then moving out upon the trackcables by means of the rope G until springactuated catch-lever E contacts with the buffer F, arranged at the proper point upon the track-cables. As soon as the lever E comes in contact with the buffer the spring F. is compressed and the ends E are disengaged from the bottom D and the said bottom then drops, discharging the ore upon the pile at the proper point. The direction of motion of the rope G is then reversed and the car returned to its original position, and as the car is drawn toward the shaft-house derrick the hinged bottom comes in contact with the curved or inclined buffer-block, thereby lifting and closing the bottom of the car, so that it is ready to receive another charge of material to be dumped.

It will thus be seen that we provide an exceedingly cheap, simple, and efficient construction of ore conveyer and piler, one which is nearly automatic and will thereby dispense with a considerable quantity of labor, and one which will avoid the use of any considerable quantity of rigging and one which can be quickly and easily removed when not required for use.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-- 1. A device of the kind described comprisiug a derrick and a tower, an elevated track connecting the derrick and tower, a car movable on the track, a buffer movable on the track, a plurality of rollers arranged on the sides of the buffer and adapted to engage the upper and lower surfaces of the track, respectively, and means for holding the buffer in position.

2. A device of the kind described comprisin g an inclined track, a bufier, rollers carried on each side of the buffer and traveling on the track, rollers arranged below the firstinentioned rollers and engaging the under side of the track, a pulley arranged in the rear of the buffer, a cable passing over said pulley and connected at one end to the buffer, a weight attached to the lower end of the cable, a stop; and a lug on the cable engaging said stop and limiting the movement of the buffer in one direction.

3. In a device of the kind described, a car having a hinged bottom, a bifurcated catch- 

